French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. Clément, Beckett
Other Literary Studies

Review published in Acta Fabula (March 2020, vol. 21, no. 3): Anthony Salomé, "Leçon de Samuel Beckett"

Beckett

Bruno Clément

Presses Universitaires de Vincennes

EAN: 9782842928490

188 p.

10.00 €

OVERVIEW

A rigorous, original, and at times polemical Beckett: the expected elements are certainly present (the absurd, the human, etc.), alongside others less commonly explored (music, bilingualism).

This book is designed for students and readers seeking an informed and original approach to Beckett's work. It breaks down the core themes of his oeuvre in clear, accessible language, while also addressing aspects frequently overlooked by critics, such as bilingualism, music, and cinema. Furthermore, numerous excerpts from his most famous texts receive detailed analysis.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction…

Two Languages

Bilingual
One Work, Two Texts
The Genesis of Bilingualism
Writing Without Style?
How to Say It Badly?
Publishing Beckett

Beckett the Absurdist?

Between Sense and Nonsense
Beckett the Philosopher?
Lucky’s Monologue
A Musical Writing Style
The Poverty of Humanism
The Musical Poetics of Proper Names

Beckett the Novelist

“I shall not answer any more questions”
“Not I”
“Now I will play”
“Telling stories”
Art Poetic
Self-Derision as a Poetic Principle

Beckett the Playwright

Classic, and Even a Little More
When?
Where?
What?
“Something is taking its course”

Imagination and Its Images

The Lessons of Fiction
Beckett’s Theoretical Fictions
Towards a Total Art

Conclusion
Bibliography

Bruno Clément’s study engages with the broader tradition of Beckett criticism, touching upon familiar frameworks such as the absurd while also directing attention toward less conventional points of entry, including bilingualism, music, and cinema within the oeuvre. The volume incorporates detailed analyses of numerous excerpts drawn from texts, offering an approach to navigating the complexities of the author’s theatrical and narrative output.

Readers interested in a structured overview of Samuel Beckett’s writings may find this volume relevant, as it breaks down central motifs and textual strategies in clear language. The work addresses both foundational elements of the author’s reception and specific stylistic features, ranging from questions of language to the interplay between narrative form, drama, and artistic self-derision.